The Launch takes the stage for season two

Songs released through the show have now garnered a total of around 12 million streams online, according to Bell Media.

Bell Media has confirmed that its competition format The Launch will return for a second season.

Filming is scheduled to begin in Toronto in September, with new episodes premiering as part of CTV’s 2018/19 season. Casting is now open.

Season one (6 x 60 minutes) premiered in January to an average 2+ audience of 1.14 million viewers (across CTV, CTV Two, Much, VRAK and Canal Vie) and was later picked up by Sony Pictures Television (SPT), which is distributing the format and the original Canadian series worldwide (excluding Canada). As well, SPT’s London, U.K.-based production company Electric Ray signed on to produce a local version of the format for the U.K. market.

Songs released through the show have now garnered a total of around 12 million streams online, according to Bell Media, including Elijah Woods x Jamie Fine’s “Ain’t Easy.” The duo (pictured) are scheduled to perform at SPT’s upfront presentation in Hollywood later this month.

“Ain’t Easy” is one of four songs to receive single representation deals with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group, as well as The Static Shift’s “Wide Awake,” Logan Staats “The Lucky Ones,” POESY’s “Soldier of Love” and Ethan Young’s “Giants.” In addition, “Soldier of Love,” “The Lucky Ones,” “Ain’t Easy” and “Wide Awake” all hit the number one spot on iTunes Canada following their release. Vivian Hicks, who appeared in the first episode of the show, was also signed to a development deal with Big Machine Label Group in April.

Produced by Bell Media, Big Machine Label Group and California-based Eureka, in partnership with Toronto’s Insight Productions, the show follows unsigned artists as they audition for the chance to record and perform an original song written by an established songwriter or producer. Executive producers are Borchetta, Bell Media president Randy Lennox, Insight CEO John Brunton and Eureka founder Paul Franklin. Franklin and Insight’s Lindsay Cox also serve as showrunners and exec producers.